Salomon BBR 7.5+Z10 (2013)

One of the most distinctive shapes to come along in recent past, the BBR is the brainchild of Bertrand Krafft (Beber to his friends, or BBR for short.) Krafft is the venerated Salomon designer who also gave the world Pocket Rockets and X-Screams. Instead of using a traditional X-shape, Krafft designed the BBR to be like a V, with a surfboard-shaped tip, narrow waist and pintail. Krafft's vision behind the ski was to create a product for everyone and everythingï¿½a ski that embraces the real-world conditions, not just untracked powder. With its radical sidecut, the BBR claims to carve on hard snow, while its broad shovel/tip should gives it a measure of float on powder days. This year the men's line has increased to four versions, the new 7.5 being aimed at all-mountain leisure skiers. Sandwich sidewalls, full woodcore, metal laminates, edge reinforcement.